▸ Why It Matters
Problems that reach exactly 10 are worth extra attention because "making 10" is one of the most useful mental math anchors a child will ever learn. On this sheet, nine of the fourteen problems — like 2+8, 7+3, 1+9, and 5+5 — land exactly on 10, while the rest (such as 3+4 or 2+7) sit just below it. That mix isn't an accident: comparing a 'make 10' pair against a near-miss helps a child feel the difference. Once 10 feels familiar and automatic, it becomes the tool used to solve much harder addition and subtraction problems later on, including carrying and borrowing with bigger numbers.
▸ Getting Started
Work through the page in order rather than skipping around, since the problems alternate between combinations that make 10 and ones that don't. For any problem close to making 10 (like 6+4 or 7+3), have your child notice out loud when the answer lands exactly on 10 — pointing out "that one makes a perfect 10!" helps this specific combination start to feel special. For problems like 3+4 or 2+7 that fall short, ask "how far from 10 is that?" as a quick side question — it builds the same number sense without turning into a separate lesson.
▸ If They Get Stuck
Use two ten-frame-style rows of 5 dots (or draw two rows of 5 boxes) and have your child fill in dots for each number being added — watching the dots fill a row to exactly 10 makes the concept visually concrete. If counting on fingers is more natural, try both hands: one hand shows the first number, and your child counts up on the second hand, noticing when all ten fingers are used. A common mistake is recounting from one each time; gently encourage counting on from the larger number instead, which is faster and less error-prone.
▸ Praise Points
Praise recognizing a "make 10" pair without being told: "You saw that 6 and 4 make a perfect 10 without me pointing it out — that's a really useful pattern to have in your head." Also praise the reverse skill — noticing when a problem does not make 10, like 5+2, and explaining why. Celebrate speed improvements too: if your child solves the same pair faster the second time around the page, point out that their brain is starting to remember it instead of recalculating it, which is exactly the goal of this kind of practice.
🎯What This Worksheet Builds
This worksheet targets sums up to 10 across fourteen addition problems, with nine of them — including 2+8, 1+9, 5+5, and 9+1 — landing exactly on 10. The remaining problems, like 3+4, 5+2, 6+1, and 2+7, sit just one to three away from 10, giving children a natural point of comparison. By practicing both types side by side, kids build the single most useful mental-math anchor for later addition, subtraction, and eventually two-digit carrying and borrowing.
👉Next Step
After your child starts recognizing 'make 10' pairs quickly and can tell at a glance whether a problem reaches 10 or falls short, move on to Addition Practice 3 - Sums 11 to 15, where they'll learn to think of teen numbers as '10 and a few more.' This next step directly builds on the make-10 skill practiced here, turning it into the foundation for adding and subtracting with numbers beyond ten.